Level 1 sweep and inspection to the NFPA 211 annual standard - flue, crown, cap, and flashing checked and photographed
Chimney sweep logs do not sweep chimneys. They loosen some creosote - which then falls where a brush and vacuum still have to collect it.
Fast, Reliable Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Across Melville
A typical chimney cleaning and sweep in Melville runs $180-$340 for a standard annual service, with Level 2 camera inspections ranging $275-$425 when clay flue damage or relining needs are suspected. Most Melville appointments are completed in a single visit, and our scheduling desk in New York City coordinates crews who know the local housing stock cold.
We’ve been answering calls with a live person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for over 42 years. That hasn’t changed. What has changed is the condition of Melville’s chimneys. The colonials and split-levels built during the Town of Huntington’s 1960s-1980s suburban expansion are now carrying clay flue liners that have hit 40-60 years of service. Many were converted from oil to gas decades ago, and that combination, plus salt-laden air from Long Island Sound roughly five miles north, means we find more than soot when we sweep. We find corroded caps, spalling crowns, and acid-pitted clay tiles that look sound until the camera shows otherwise. If you live off Old Country Road, near the Melville Mall, or in the neighborhoods around South Service Road, you’re in our regular rotation. Call (934) 348-4832 for a free estimate.
Why Hearthstone Chimney Co. Is Melville’s Preferred Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Company
Melville homeowners don’t call us because we’re the cheapest. They call us because we document what we find, explain it in plain English, and put our 90-Day Done Right Promise in writing with no arguing. That’s the Keystone Standard. Krafted right, Every time, Your home first, Standing behind it.
Our Chimney Cleaning & Sweep team has worked through enough Melville winters to know which nor’easters drive rain straight into unprotected chimney crowns, and which freeze-thaw cycles open flashing joints before owners notice water in the attic. We’ve swept flues in the postwar ranches near Wyandanch Avenue and inspected multi-flue stacks in the larger homes off Pinelawn Road. The salt air here is real. It shortens the lifespan of galvanised caps and unprotected mortar compared to truly inland Suffolk County suburbs. We see it on every truck roll.
Russell Haines built this company in 1984 on the idea that a sweep should leave you with photos you can see and a verdict you can understand. No paperwork battles. No callbacks that go to voicemail. Our phones are staffed by a live person every hour of every day. Our technicians are background-checked, uniformed, and carry professional-grade materials from HeatShield, Gelco, and Olympia Chimney. Most jobs finish in one visit. The number on your estimate is the number on your invoice.
Our Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Services in Melville
Level 1 Inspection
Every annual sweep in Melville starts with a Level 1 inspection: accessible portions of the chimney exterior, interior, and connecting appliance. For newer homes or recently serviced systems, this is often sufficient. But given the age of Melville’s housing stock, we flag when a Level 2 is warranted. If your home was built between 1965 and 1985 and still runs its original clay liner, we’ll tell you straight. The sweep comes first. The camera comes when the flue’s condition demands it.

Level 2 Inspection
This is where we earn our reputation in Melville. A Level 2 inspection includes a full camera scan of the flue interior, accessible attics, crawl spaces, and basements. We document every crack, every acid-etched tile, every joint separation with photos you can see. On a 1970s colonial off Old Country Road, our tech pulled the damper and found the clay flue liner acid-pitted and cracked from years of low-temp gas exhaust, with salt-driven spalling already eating the mortar crown. We swept the firebox and smoke chamber, documented the tile damage, then relined the flue with a stainless DuraFlex liner and set a new stainless cap. The homeowner had booked a simple annual sweep and left with a code-compliant flue before the next heating season. That’s the difference between a sweep who looks and a sweep who sees.

Creosote Removal
Third-degree creosote, that thick, tarry glaze that builds when wood burns too cool or green, is a genuine fire hazard. In Melville’s older fireplaces, especially those used as supplemental heat during Long Island power outages, we’ve removed glazed creosote deposits that reduced flue diameter by a third. We use mechanical rotary systems and, when necessary, professional-grade chemical treatments. The work is messy. We contain it. We photograph before and after. And we tell you whether your burning habits need adjustment before next season.

Soot Removal
Soot is the lighter, powdery byproduct of complete combustion. It accumulates in every flue, and in Melville’s gas-converted systems, it mixes with condensate to form acidic sludge that etches clay tile from within. A standard soot removal clears the firebox, smoke chamber, and accessible flue. But if your home was converted from oil to gas and still runs an oversized clay flue, we’ll recommend the camera. The soot is a symptom. The liner condition is the story.

Annual Sweep
Melville’s coastal exposure justifies annual inspection for every wood-burning system and every converted gas appliance venting through original masonry. The salt air, the freeze-thaw, the nor’easter rain, and the aging clay tile - these factors compound. An annual sweep catches crown cracks before they let water into the flue. It catches cap corrosion before the flue is open to the weather. And it catches acid-pitted liners before they fail during the heating season. Book it before October. We’ll be there when we say.

Fireplace Cleaning
Fireplace cleaning in Melville addresses the firebox, hearth, and damper assembly. In homes near the Sound where salt air infiltrates even closed systems, we find rusted damper hardware and deteriorated firebrick more frequently than inland. We clean. We inspect. We report what we see. No surprises on the bill.

What happens when you call
- 1
A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
- 2
You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
- 3
A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
- 4
You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Trusted Brands We Service in Melville
We don’t use builder-grade substitutes. For relining work in Melville, we specify DuraFlex stainless liners and HeatShield cerfractory flue sealant where localized repair is viable. Crown repairs get Gelco or Olympia Chimney professional-grade formulations, not hardware-store patch kits. For caps and flashing, we stock Famco stainless components that outlast galvanised alternatives in salt air. These materials cost more upfront. They cost less over the life of the chimney. We carry common sizes on our trucks, so most Melville jobs don’t wait on parts.
Common Chimney Cleaning & Sweep Problems We See in Melville Homes
- Corroded caps and spalling crowns. Salt-laden Sound air eats galvanised caps and mortar in Melville faster than in inland Suffolk, letting wind-blown nor’easter rain straight into the flue. We replace with stainless caps and professional-grade crown sealant.
- Oversized clay flues on converted gas appliances. Low-temperature exhaust condenses and acid-etches tile from within, so a liner looks intact but is cracked and needs relining. The camera reveals what the eye cannot.
- Missing flashing repairs at the roof line. Freeze-thaw cycles open flashing joints, and water tracks down past the chimney crown into the attic framing before anyone notices. We inspect accessible rooflines on every Level 2.
- Acid-pitted clay tiles hidden by soot. Decades of oil-to-gas conversions left Melville homes with oversized flues running cool. The condensation etches tile from the inside. A routine sweep without camera inspection misses it entirely.
Pricing for Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Melville, NY
| Service | Typical Range in Melville |
|---|---|
| Annual Sweep with Level 1 Inspection | $180 - $280 |
| Level 2 Camera Inspection | $275 - $425 |
| Creosote Removal (third-degree, rotary) | $320 - $480 |
| Fireplace Cleaning (firebox, damper, hearth) | $150 - $220 |
| Stainless Cap Replacement (salt-grade) | $280 - $450 installed |
| Crown Repair / Reseal (Gelco / Olympia) | $350 - $650 |
What moves the price? Flue accessibility, number of appliances served, degree of creosote buildup, and whether the inspection reveals damage requiring documentation for insurance or real estate transaction. We give you the full number before we start. No surprises on the bill. Senior and veteran discounts of 5% apply. Call (934) 348-4832 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
We Also Serve Cities Near Melville
Our crews work throughout central Suffolk and Nassau. If you’re in Melville or nearby Wyandanch, Old Bethpage, Woodbury, or Plainview, the same scheduling desk and the same technicians handle your appointment. Same standards. Same written guarantee.
Serving Melville, NY - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Melville area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs - Chimney Cleaning & Sweep in Melville
The salt-laden air from Long Island Sound, even at Melville’s five-mile remove, accelerates corrosion of galvanised steel caps by 30-50% compared to inland Suffolk suburbs. We replace failed caps with 304 or 316 stainless models from Famco or Gelco that resist salt corrosion for decades. Call (934) 348-4832 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Yes, and possibly more urgently than wood-burning neighbors. The oversized clay flue originally sized for oil combustion now runs too cool for gas exhaust, causing condensation that acid-etches tile from within. A sweep removes acidic sludge buildup, and the camera inspection reveals whether the liner has degraded past safe use. Call (934) 348-4832 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Annual inspection is the minimum for Melville’s salt-air and freeze-thaw environment. We recommend Level 2 camera inspection every 3-5 years for homes with original clay liners, and immediately if you’ve never had the flue scanned since purchasing. Call (934) 348-4832 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Third-degree creosote is thick, tarry, and glossy black or dark brown - often described as looking like roofing tar or melted plastic. It is highly flammable and cannot be removed by brushing alone. We use rotary mechanical systems and, when necessary, professional-grade chemical treatments to safely remove it. The process takes longer than a standard sweep and costs $320-$480 in Melville. Call (934) 348-4832 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
The cap fails first, typically within 8-12 years for galvanised steel in Melville’s environment. The crown follows as salt-driven spalling opens mortar joints to freeze-thaw damage. Flashing deterioration often lags but accelerates once crown cracks allow water tracking. We inspect all three on every Level 2, and we replace caps with stainless before they become the entry point for larger damage. Call (934) 348-4832 for an exact quote - estimates are free.
Ready to schedule? A live person answers our phones 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - not a voicemail, not a callback queue. We’ll give you a firm appointment, a plain-English estimate, and technicians who arrive uniformed, background-checked, and equipped to finish most jobs in a single visit. The 90-Day Done Right Promise covers everything we do. In writing. No arguing. Call (934) 348-4832 today for your free estimate.
Written by Russell Haines, Owner at Hearthstone Chimney Co., serving Melville and local communities for over 42 years.





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